PPP restored real democracy: Taseer

FAISALABAD - Governor Punjab Salman Taseer has said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) restored real democracy by restoration of the 1973 Constitution through 18th Amendment. He said that present government had revived the original parliamentary system as envisioned by founder chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He said that President Asif Ali Zardari has sacrificed a lot by handing over his power to parliament because he considered the public his real power. He expressed these views while addressing a public gathering at Miani 247/RB held here on Monday in connection with by-election campaign in PP-63 Faisalabad. Addressing the rally, the governor said that the government led by PPP was committed to provide basic facilities to public at their doorsteps and in this regard various development projects were being carried out across the country. He announced provision of gas to Miani and adjoining areas at a cost of Rs170million. He also declared saetting up of Labour Colony with the cost of Rs500 million at Sadhar, which would provide shelter to poor homeless people. Furthermore, he assured the local people of provision of water purification plant at Miani with financial assistance by federal govt. He also assured the people that their all demands and requirements would be fulfilled by the govt. Earlier, the governor attended ground-breaking ceremony of a 17km road dualisation project connecting Jhang and Sargodha Road which would be completed at a cost of Rs640 million. Federal Minister for Textile Rana Farooq Saeed, Senior Minister Punjab Raja Riaz Ahmad, Revenue Minister Punjab Haji Muhammad Ishaque, Labour Minister Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna, MNA Saeed Iqbal, local MPAs, Punjab PPP President Rana Aftab Ahmad and others were also present on the occasion. TRADE UNIONS TO JOIN TEXTILE WORKERS STRIKE Thirteen Labour Trade Unions have announced to join the strike with full support for the value-added sector strike call for Tuesday (today). They have demanded total ban on export of yarn and cotton from the country, which was the matter of vital importance for survival of the industry and bread and butter of the workers. Announcing to join the rallies and strike of value-added sector at a Press conference here on Monday Ayaz-uddin, Shahid Mahboob, Muh-ammad Nasib, Muhammad Shafiq, Sohail Mukhtar and Abdul Rashid, said that workers were directly affected by the shortage and high price of yarn in domestic market, as the closure of industry would render them jobless. They said that more than 55,000 workers have already become jobless and thousands of workers have not been paid wages for the last three months. They demanded the govt to totally ban the export of yarn and cotton from the country to save the value-added sector mills from total collapse. TOTAL BAN ON YARN EXPORT DEMANDED Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari, Chairman Standing Committee of the National Assembly has demanded total ban on export of yarn and cotton to sustain the national economy and Value-Added Textile Industry in the country. Announcing his full support to country wide strike call given by the Value-Added Industry, he said, that industry was lifeline and backbone of the national economy. This sector is earning 60 percent of total foreign exchange of the country while the 40 percent of the labour force is being employed by this sector. The government has not paid heed towards this sector which enjoys the vital importance in the economy and provides millions of jobs to labour force. Furthermore, the government has added burden on the textile sector due to heavy loadshedding resulting in reduced productivity and output of manufacturing unit, he said. He said that Value-Added Sector has been drawing the attention of the government towards this serious problem for a long time but the government did not pay proper attention towards this crisis. He said that the situation has become so dismal that the Value-Added Sector has been constrained to resort to strikes and protests. He warned that if industry closed down a new storm of unemployment would be unleafed and whole situation would become topsy-turvy. He stressed upon the government to take practical measures to save this precious foreign exchange sector. He warned that in case Value-Added Sector faced the disaster, then the county would also suffer irreparable damage.